No matter how you feel about it, cannabis is a fast-growing facet of the wellness industry. Sixty percent of Americans support legalized marijuana—and for good reason. Cannabis has been shown to help with anxiety, chronic pain, blood sugar regulation, seizures, inflammation and so much more. But cannabis may also help in an oft unaddressed area of wellness: women’s sexual health.

Women’s sexual health is notoriously undervalued. Many women have immense difficulty orgasming or relaxing during sex, while others experience sometimes crippling symptoms of menstruation, like unrelenting cramps and heavy nausea. Not enough has been done in the wellness world to support women’s healthy sexuality. Cannabis has the power to change that.

Cannabis has been used by cultures for millennia to enhance sexuality and the sexual experience. In a profound way, it can help modern day women have both healthier sexual experiences as well as more tolerable menstrual cycles. While it may seem odd, using cannabis to support a healthy sex life makes sense. After all, cannabis promotes muscle relaxation and increased blood flow, both of which are essential for a healthy sex life.

This therapeutic value is what led Mathew Gerson to found FORIA, a line of cannabis suppositories and sprays designed specifically for people with vaginas.

Mathew Gerson, FORIA’s co-CEO/creator, is no stranger to the business of making sex safer and healthier. As creator and former CEO of Sir Richard’s condoms, he worked to make condoms cooler and more accessible to those who really need them. Now, he’s on to help women have healthier and more empowered sex lives with FORIA’s cannabis vaginal products.

FORIA is a line of vaginal suppositories and vaginal sprays that infuse cannabis with vaginal-friendly oils like liquid coconut oil and organic cocoa butter. Their popular, aptly named products include Pleasure and Relief.

Pleasure is a sexual enhancement oil that promotes relaxation, increases blood flow to reproductive organs and the current line offers a mild psychoactive effect. It contains solely THC and works as a pre-lube, applied a few minutes before things get frisky. While I haven’t tried it personally, it has received rave reviews. Women claim it has made sex more powerful, emotional and sensual. Some experience multiple powerful orgasms. Others claim it allows them to fully enjoy sex for the first time. And that is truly a beautiful thing. Pleasure seems to help women who experience pain, discomfort or anxiety during sex to finally begin relishing in their sexuality and enjoy getting it on.

Suffer from killer menstrual cramps, back pain and headaches when it’s that time of the month? Relief has been formulated to have no psychotropic effect (meaning it won’t get you high) and is designed to help ease the symptoms of menstruation. It contains both THC and CBDs. When inserted into the uterine area with a tampon applicator (but don’t be fooled; it’s not a tampon), CBDs directly affect the immune system and nerve endings within the uterus, ovaries, cervix and surrounding tissues to suppress inflammation and relax muscles to reduce cramping. THC helps to block pain signal in the nerves to reduce discomfort. Think of Relief as a natural, more effective Midol, without the serious side effects, potential drug interactions, artificial colorings or fancy pharmaceutical patent.

Currently, both Relief and Pleasure are only available in California and Colorado, but Gerson says they are working to get their products in to recently legalized states soon.*

*(For those who don’t live in cannabis-friendly states, a cool new product, Awaken, will be released in March that will be legal in all 50 states, regardless of marijuana laws. It will be a lubricant like Pleasure, but comprised of the whole plant extract of organic hemp, meaning it will have the potent therapeutic benefits of most cannabinoids without any of the psychoactive effects of THC. I think that’s pretty exciting!)

I had the chance to chat with Gerson about the wellness industry, the benefits of cannabis, its shifting public image from dangerous drug to plant-based medicine. According to Gerson:

“We need to holistically look at our health and be citizen scientists for our own bodies. It’s been forgotten that you have a right to understand your own body. We don’t need to wait for the upper echelons of the health industry to tell us something is good. Figure it out for yourself.”

When I asked what Gerson would say to those who still cling to the negative stigma that has followed cannabis in recent decades, he said:

“We need to be really sensitive to other attitudes and beliefs and respect them. We need to allow people to have their positions and learn [about cannabis's medicinal benefits] through first and secondhand experiences.”

“Tell people, do your research. Look at the research on how cannabis has helped so many sick people. The most transformative way to share cannabis is to inspire that empathy response… We are at the vanguard here, and the diversity of benefits being discovered is almost daily, with all the studies being published, I believe in 5 to 10 years, cannabis will completely separate itself from the long shadow that’s been cast over it.”

Cannabis has the potential to be tremendously beneficial for not only women, but our health and wellness as a culture. Perhaps cannabis has a future in your medicine cabinet, having so many beneficial uses and no serious side effects. In fact, Gerson thinks cannabis is a uniquely loving plant with both medicinal and cultural value:

“It is really a very compassionate plant [cannabis], I can say that for sure. It loves us. It dulls pain and increases the good feels. We’ve co-evolved with this plant—in fact, our bodies have receptors that specifically interact with it. We’ve grown together.”

And it seems true. Cannabis must love us. It has empowered the health of so many people, from inconsolable seizure patients to women who have long suffered with sexual dysfunction. Who knew a humble plant could so powerfully revolutionize the modern wellness industry?

Technology designed for women exploded in 2016, with new products hitting the market ranging from wearable trackers for expectant mothers to networking apps to help female professionals get ahead. "The online consumer market of women is a new phenomenon" in part because investors are waking up to the opportunity, says Anu Duggal, founding partner of the Female Founders Fund, a firm that invests in women-led startups. "The purchasing power of women is massive and becoming clearer."

Many of the female founders that made our list struggled for years to raise capital, but were able to convince investors in their vision through persistence and creativity (and of course, a solid business pitch). Miki Agrawal from Thinx, a period underwear maker, tells us she requested that one of her male investors wear a maxi pad during an entire meeting to get him to empathize with what women experience. Others like Morena Simatic, cofounder of wearables startup Bellabeat, had little trouble raising financing for a product designed specifically for women rather than a pink version of an existing product.

Five years ago, Harvard Business Review conducted a landmark survey of professional women and found that most felt vastly underserved in the marketplace compared to men. That's starting to change. "Women were a neglected category, until recently," says Simatic.

To compile this list, we asked a range of investors and entrepreneurs and solicited feedback from dozens of women. Here are their picks, in no particular order.8. SEX AND SEXUAL HEALTH: FORIA

Two words: Vaginal cannabis. Many of the women we spoke to raved about Foria Relief, a cocoa butter-based cannabis for the vagina that is designed to help with menstrual cramps and other sexual health issues. That accompanies Foria Pleasure, a product that aims to increase sexual pleasure through a lubricant spray. As one happy customer described the experience: "(It was) like my vagina was kicking back on the beach in Mexico, without a care in the world." Sex and sexual health is a notoriously underfunded space, but Foria has garnered rave reviews from users and continues to sell well in Colorado and California.

Created by Foria, the cannabis vaginal suppositories seek to take down cramps associated with periods. The handy little “tampons” were developed with our worst period moments in mind, and we’re feeling pretty grateful. One gynecologist told Racked that using cannabis for periods isn’t unheard of. According to Morton Barke, M.D., a retired gynecologist and medical director of a California medical marijuana evaluation center,

“We know that cannabis does help pain. We do see a lot of patients with dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea is painful menstrual periods. It’s a fantastic modality to help patients.” - Sounds pretty darn good to us.

So what’s the science behind their products? ... They’re particular about their cannabis. Foria grows their cannabis in Northern California without the use of harmful pesticides. Which is basically one giant yay.

Their product contains THC and CBD. For those of us who aren’t super up-to-date on the inner workings of weed, the two key active cannabinoid compounds found in cannabis are THC and CBD. The cannabinoids in Foria products interact with the nerves and muscles that cause cramps, encouraging less painful periods. THC in the tampons helps take down pain, while encouraging ~good vibes~ in the brain, while CBD encourages muscles and nerves to chill TF out.

So far, people are loving these tampons. Folks who have tried Foria since they released the suppositories this past January have said they have less hardcore cramps as a result of the product. So that’s fantastic news.

Long story short? It just might be time to say goodbye to writhing around in pain while crying over your favorite rom coms, and, TBH, we can’t complain. As much as we ~love~ indulging in ice cream seven days out of every month, we’d much rather not be in total and complete agony.

When you’ve got a case of excruciating PMS cramps, you’d pretty much do anything to stop the pain. Now there’s an innovative solution out on the market — even if it might not be legal in every state.

Here’s the good news: This type of marijuana use isn’t for stoners. A new innovative company called Foria, which is known for cannabis-infused products like lubricants, has just released the “weed tampon.”

It’s the first to hit the market dedicated to treating menstrual cramps, but take note that it’s actually a suppository rather than an absorbent feminine hygiene product.

When it comes to organic sources of pain relief, marijuana is nothing new. It’s used to help with many ailments, including nausea and muscle pain. And with legalization sweeping across U.S. states and its many medical uses — from stopping seizures to treating cancer patients — this bud has gained legitimacy in the health and wellness industry.

The THC ingredient in the tampon helps with pain and muscle relaxation. Photo Credit marjan4782/Adobe Stock

The product, Foria Relief, is created “using a delivery system intended to maximize the muscle-relaxing and pain-relieving properties of cannabis without inducing a psychotropic ‘high,’” says the company’s website.

The cannabis suppositories are made with organic cocoa butter, THC oil and CBD isolate. Some women have reported that it smells like cookie dough or cookie butter. And it keeps getting better: For you ladies that aren’t interested in getting all squinty-eyed, this product can still work for you because the THC won’t make you high.

Here’s how it works: The capsule is blended with a 6-to-1 ratio of THC oil (approximately 60 grams — twice as much as the average joint) to CBD isolate. The THC targets the nerves to block out the pain, while CBD acts as an anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic, helping relieve muscle spasms.

The company says that the combination of THC and CBD used in the vaginal suppositories are specifically designed to “activate certain cannabinoid receptors in the pelvic region when introduced into the body.”

Thus far, the Food and Drug Administration has neither approved the product nor ran it through clinical trials, but Foria is marketing it as completely safe and user-friendly — claiming the cannabis is grown without pesticides and that the product is made with no harmful contaminants.

The suppositories are currently only available in California and do not require a medical-marijuana card (although they do require a physician’s letter). Check back with the site from time to time to see if it expands into other states.

Once a month, I live through literal hell for seven to nine days straight. My uterus is tied in knots and wrung out by the invisible fists of the devil himself. My soul touches the void. I pound ibuprofen and Tylenol by the handful for little to no relief. Eventually, I fantasize about removing my uterus all together because I see no other solutions in sight. What a life that would be, devoid of insufferable, never-ending menstrual cramps. Rainbows and butterflies and the ability to venture out into the world and skip down the street period-pain-free, instead of writhing and whining in my bed and ordering an XL, grease-soaked pizza to my door (which only ends up making me feel worse). Ah, the joys of owning a uterus.

If your menstrual experiences mirror mine, first of all, I’m so sorry, I feel you. Second of all, hold up – there could be a sliver of hope for us yet. Foria, a company known for its cannabis-infused products (including their well-renowned weed lube), has just released an ingenious and potentially life-changing product: marijuana-infused ‘tampons.’ I use the word ‘tampon’ loosely, because they aren’t technically classified as such: rather, the brand refers to them as suppositories. But, they are inserted vaginally in a similar fashion, and they’re a period product, so might as well call ‘em tampons (I guess?).

Anyway, here’s the lowdown on how they work:

The suppositories, which come in packs of four, are made up of only three ingredients – fair trade cocoa butter, THC oil, and CBD isolate from organically grown hemp. You stick it in your vag and, supposedly, the cannabinoids cause the nerves in the uterus, cervix, and ovaries to block out pain and relax the constricted uterine muscles (aka, the source of that nasty cramping feeling). Unlike something you ingest orally, (Midol, Tylenol, et cetera), the suppositories attack the pain at the source. The vaginal walls absorb the natural medications directly into the bloodstream, providing imminent relief.

They aren’t yet FDA approved, and there is no factual research to prove their effectiveness, but users, like this writer from Broadly, have reported nearly immediate and long-lasting results. “Within 20 minutes, my cramps totally disappeared,” said Mish Barber Way. “I was not surprised at how well the suppository worked. What I was surprised about was the longevity. Midol will wear off after about half a work day, and during most periods I'll pop six a day. But one Foria suppository did its job well into my evening.”

Rad.

If, like me, you’re willing to try literally anything to relieve your menstrual misery, you can buy a pack of Foria Relief on their website.

Cannabis Tampons Could Relieve Your Most Painful Cramps. Find out why some women swear by this.

Your period can cause all sorts of discomfort, not least of which is stomach cramping. But now there's an alternative to downing ibuprofen by the handful: Foria, the makers of marijuana lube, have introduced cannabis vaginal suppositories to help ease the pain.

Doctors have used other forms of the known pain reliever to treat menstrual cramps before. Morton Barke, MD, a retired gynecologist and medical director of a California medical marijuana evaluation center, told Racked that cannabis is a "fantastic modality" for helping patients with dysmenorrhea, or painful menstrual periods.

Foria Relief "tampons" ($44 per four-pack) contain only three (all natural!) ingredients: organic cocoa butter, CO2-extracted cannabis oil, and a cannabidiol (CBD) isolate, one of the main chemicals in marijuana. When inserted vaginally, the ingredients activate cannabinoid receptors in the pelvic region, and, according to The Hearty Soul, cause nerves in the uterus, cervix, and ovaries to block pain.

For those wondering about the obvious question here: No, it doesn't get you high.

This particular delivery system sends the medicine directly to where it's needed, maximizing the "muscle relaxing and pain relieving properties of cannabis without inducing a psychotropic high," according to the company's website.

Customer reviews for the product say it helped relieve cramps in as little as eight minutes and even left one user "decidedly dreamy," though some said it wasn't effective on back pain.

Foria, a medicinal marijuana company that rocked headlines in 2014 with its "weed lube," has done it again. This time, the California-based brand wants to replace your Tylenol regime with a marijuana-infused product designed for everyone's favorite time of the month.

Foria Relief isn't a tampon, since it's not designed to absorb menstrual blood. Instead, the clinical-sounding "vaginal suppository" — which is worn with a panty liner or tampon — aims to soothe pain and muscular aches associated with periods.

It looks like a "small, white, pearl-sized bullet" and smells like gooey chocolate and coconut, explains marijuana blogger and researcher Lisa Rough in a review for Leafly. Foria Relief is made with just three ingredients: organic cocoa butter; THC oil, a marijuana extract that concentrates the plant's chemical compound responsible for psychological effects; and a cannabidiol-rich isolate that the company claims can combat inflammation.

Here's how it works. Users pop a suppository into the freezer for 20 minutes before administering, so that the cocoa butter doesn't dissolve too quickly upon insertion. Once the user slips the suppository into her vaginal canal as far as she can, she lies down with a pillow under her hips.

Then, the company claims, the chemical compounds in marijuana, called cannabinoids, start towork their magic on the nerve endings of the uterus, cervix, ovaries, and surrounding smooth muscle tissues. They supposedly help block pain signals received by the brain and reduce inflammation.

It's important to note, however, that while cannabinoids have been studied as potential pain relievers and anti-inflammatories, the evidence that they work — especially when applied directly — is slim. One recent review called the efficacy of topical cannabinoids "questionable."Another small study that looked at a cannabinoid spray to treat arthritis pain in particular said it worked better than a placebo, but the evidence supporting this conclusion was weak, and the side effects (like dizziness) were common.

The Foria Relief suppositories have not been clinically tested at all. While some people say they've found relief, some of that may be the placebo effect.

iStock

Still, among the people that have tested them, there are fans.

"After a day of constant disruption from my inflamed internal organs, the relief was palpable and pronounced," Rough writes in her review for Leafly. She notes that her downstairs also smelled "delicious."

"Within 20 minutes, my cramps totally disappeared," Mish Way writes for VICE. Most users start to feel the effects in about 20 minutes, according to user reviews I've read.

The biggest variance among reviews was in regard to the length of the suppository's effectiveness, which ranged from an hour to all day. The company does not state an expected relief time on its website.

By now you're probably wondering if Foria Relief will get you high. Don't count on it.

Though the suppository contains both 10 milligrams of CBD and 60 miligrams of THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, Foria says in a press release that the "delivery format" prevents users from experiencing any psychoactive effects. THC is absorbed differently when ingested or inhaled, Racked reports.

iStockA typical tampon.

Dr. Jennifer Berman, a Beverly Hills urologist better known as a host of the daytime talk show "The Doctors," worked with the company to develop Foria Relief. In an interview with VICE's Mish Way, she explains what makes Relief an attractive alternative to, say, popping an ibuprofen when period discomfort hits.

"When a medicine is delivered through the mucosa of the vagina, rather than orally or [as] a topical treatment, it is directly absorbed into the bloodstream," says Berman.

"This is not about Foria being better or worse than prescription medication for treating cramps — nor is Foria FDA-approved, nor has it been clinically studied in women yet," she adds. "All we are talking about is that cannabis-based products help relax the muscles, and the uterus is a muscle."

Floria Relief costs a pretty penny. A four-pack of suppositories costs $44, whereas a 36-count pack of Playtex Sports Tampons will set you back $9.78 on Amazon.

Additional testing is needed to see if Foria Relief really works — and whether it's worth $11 a pop.